Businesses form 'Support Estes Park'

Trail-Gazette Staff

Posted:
11/21/2013 05:15:00 AM MST

Three local businesses have launched an initiative to assist businesses in the Estes Park area that were impacted by the September flood.

Estes Park Vacationland, Kind Coffee, and Images of RMNP have formed Support Estes Park. The venture has already raised $10,000. The proceeds will be distributed by way of grants and awarded through an application process.

In order to help secure more funding, the venture is launching an online site at SupportEstesPark.com. It will not only raise money for the fund but will help to generate income for businesses that decide to participate in the effort, according to a news release.

Representatives from Estes Park Vacationland, Kind Coffee, and Images of RMNP could not be reached for comment.

Interested businesses can become involved by sending an e-mail to estesparkrelief@gmail.com. Support Estes Park will include your logo and brief description of your business on its website.

When people visit SupportEstesPark.com, they will be able to purchase a gift certificate to a business. When then do, Support Estes Park will send that business an e-mail. It's then the responsibility of the business to generate a gift certificate using its own point of sale, and mail or e-mail the gift certificate to the buyer.

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Every two weeks, Support Estes Park will send the business a check directly from Wells Fargo to the business mailing address . The business will receive 85 percent of the value and the fund will receive 15 percent, less 2.75 percent credit card processing fees.

What's needed for businesses to get started:

- An email from you agreeing to participate

- Contact name

- A jpeg of your business logo

- Your email address to receive notification of a sale

- A mailing address to receive your payment

- Your website so that we may link it to this site

- Pictures of flood damage, reconstruction or back in business for the Gallery page of the site (if you would like to share.)

The Town of Estes Park and the State of Colorado are supporting this venture. Information about the site will be shared by the town and can also be found on the State of Colorado's website and Facebook page.

"We will and have shared information with the public on SupportEstesPark.com as we have with other fundraising efforts that support Estes Park's recovery," said Kate Rusch, the town's public information officer. "We provide the information and let the public decide where to invest donations. It's wonderful to see so many people generously giving their time and expertise to support the community."